Let's be frank about the fish: The apparent decision by the White House to forget about breaching the Lower Snake dams for 10 years or so and concentrate on other means of saving the salmon instead pretty much means the White House has decided that, if leaving the dams in place will kill the fish, so be it.
At least in the short term, the White House Council on Environmental Quality has chosen the navigation dams over the salmon. That does not necessarily mean that the fish are automatically doomed, though they might well be. It means, if it takes dam breaching to save the fish, then the fish probably will not be saved. Waiting 10 years or more to open the dams is essentially a decision not to breach those obstructions -- ever. And if the fish can't be saved without dam breaching -- if the dams are the problem -- then 10 years more of dams is probably enough to wipe out the run.
And if they can be saved by methods other than dam breaching, we will probably have some sign of success within 10 years.
The people in the White House are undoubtedly aware of that. So are some of the commercial interests around here and elsewhere in the Northwest who are cheering the White House decision. A good proportion of those who say we can have both these dams and these fish suspect, deep down, that may not be accurate. But in truth, they don't care. They won't say so out loud, but the fact is, quite a few around here believe the dams matter more than the fish, if one must choose.
They have chosen in their hearts, if not out loud. They have stalled long enough, with the help of their congressional delegations. And now the White House has put the finishing touches on what amounts to a victory over the environmentalists.
The White House is suddenly such a decisive part of this for the obvious reason that Vice President Al Gore may have trouble carrying Washington state and even Oregon in the presidential campaign if it looks too much like the dams will be breached.
Many around here will agree with a deliberate decision to let the fish die, if necessary, to save the dams. But as we do that, let's look clearly at the decision, get our heads out of the sand and recognize this course for exactly what it is -- a deliberate preference for dams over fish. We are betting the fish to save the dams. -- B.H.
